South Fork Campground also closed through October
Reserve, NM, May 21, 2025—Approximately 4.5 miles of Forest Road 141 (Reserve Beaverhead Road) on the Gila National Forest, Reserve Ranger District have been closed for the summer for the replacement of the South Fork Negrito Creek bridge, located just east of South Fork Campground. Forest Road 141 closed on May 12, from its intersection with Forest Road 503 (Catron County Road C-019, Rainy Mesa) to its intersection with Forest Road 165/4044A (Eckleberger Canyon). South Fork Campground is also closed for the duration of the project. A forest closure order is in effect through October 31, 2025, unless it is rescinded sooner.
The designated detour is Forest Road 94 (Cox Canyon Road) from Apache Creek, New Mexico, 12 miles north of Reserve. Forest Road 94 was recently upgraded with all new signs and culverts. It is also being frequently graded to help sustain road quality under increased traffic. New Mexico Highway 159 (Bursum Road) from U.S. Highway 180 south of Alma, NM, is a rough, single-lane route across steep terrain that may provide another detour option for those with high clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles. Gila National Forest is also working with Catron County to improve County Road 28 for the increased traffic. Forest Road 119 is yet another route around the closure, however, its rough, four-wheel-drive condition is not suitable for vehicles with trailers or low clearance. It is not recommended as a bypass except with off-highway vehicles.
While the road's temporary closure is an inconvenience, failure of the 66-year-old bridge would be catastrophic, and its replacement is necessary to maintain access for recreation, land management activities, logging and other commercial uses, and general traffic. The new bridge will be longer to meet modern flood design standards, and more cost effective to maintain. For more information, contact Maribeth Pecotte at
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
